A Bibliometric and Visual Analysis of Cancer Screening Based on the Web of Science Core Collection Database

This study aimed to systematically analyze the current research status, development trends, collaborative networks, and hot topics in the global cancer screening field using a bibliometric method. It sought to reveal the contributions and influences of different countries and institutions and explore potential directions for future research, providing a comprehensive basis for academia and policy-makers to optimize cancer screening strategies.

We searched the Web of Science Core Collection on October 15, 2023, using TS = (cancer screening) and DT = (Article), with no restrictions on the language or publication year. Only original research articles directly related to cancer screening were included; abstracts, comments, and non-research literature were excluded. VOSviewer was used for co-occurrence analysis to assess research status and hotspots. CiteSpace analyzed annual publication trends, collaboration networks among countries, institutions, journals, authors, and keywords.

A total of 5223 articles were retrieved, showing a continuous growth trend in annual publication volume. The USA had the highest output (2418), followed by the UK and the Netherlands. Harvard University was the most productive institution (183). Cancer published the most articles (120), while the New England Journal of Medicine had the most citations (7991). High-frequency keywords included screening (987), colorectal cancer (CRC) (783), mortality (680), women (671), and breast cancer (BC) (669). Cluster analysis revealed seven main research themes: CRC, cervical cancer (CC), lung cancer (LC), BC, cancer screening, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, and lynch syndrome. Hot topics included LC screening and adherence. Future research may increasingly focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning (DL), aiming to introduce new technologies and optimize screening strategies to improve efficiency and early diagnosis.

Research on cancer screening is rapidly advancing, with the USA leading in productivity and influence. Current research mainly focuses on CRC, CC, LC, and BC.